CHAPTER ONE

Seven Years Ago

Samantha walked into the dark, cold, empty apartment; alone. Sure in the past few months she'd come home to this same scene before, but then she always had the knowledge that he wouldn't be too far away – he was either finishing up some work or was picking up some food for them to share. Now, all she had was herself, her phone, and the alcohol in her left hand.

Somehow she'd managed to hold it together all day. That moment he ended it, all she had felt like doing was shouting at him, but she couldn't do that, especially not in the office where everyone could watch them. Then Jack chastising her, and telling her to "keep it out of the office"; she could have screamed!

And then they came back from Albany and there he was, standing at the conference table, placing the last few files in the box they had come in to return them. She watched him leave through the reflection in the window, and repeatedly swallowed the lump in her throat. It wasn't until she was in her car, sitting in front of the wheel that she let her tears fall.

This wasn't her. This wasn't the strong and independent Samantha Spade who didn't let men drag her down. God, she hadn't even cried like this when Jack ended things, but maybe that was because she knew it was going to end sooner or later – she had always known that with him.

But with Martin; and it didn't help that she was again comparing the two men.

God, why did she always do that, compare the two most recent men who had taken her heart, and given her theirs? What was she trying to prove, especially when every time she found herself comparing them, Martin always came out on top; then again that was always going to be the case because he was close to twenty years younger than Jack was, and thus didn't have all the emotional baggage.

So as she wiped the tears from her eyes, some five minutes after they had first started falling, she decided that the best thing to take her mind away was booze. She didn't care that she would likely wake up the following morning with a mass headache and all of today's problems still there, she just needed to escape it all.

She sighed as she closed her front door, wiping some fresh moisture from her eyes as she moved further into her home, only flicking on the kitchen light as she moved into the cramped-for-space room.

Placing the bottle, still wrapped in the paper bag, on the counter, she moved to her fridge silently, hoping she still had the bottle of lemon soda.

After a few minutes of searching she found the green bottle, filled with carbonated lemon fizz, and taking a large glass, filled it. The paper bag removed, she held the bottle in her hand, moving to pour some into the glass of lemon. But her wrist wouldn't make the decisive move to make lemon-flavored vodka. Instead, her shoulder brought the lid-free bottle to her lips, tipping the bottle up and allowing the contents to flow down her throat.

After five or six mouthfuls she moved the bottle back to the bench, resting both hands against it as she shook off the immediate effects: her head fizzing, her eyes burning, her throat reeling, and her liver demanding more.

Again and again she took mouthfuls of the water colored liquid, until little more than half of the original contents remained. At this point, Sam made her way to her bedroom, pulling a night slip from her cupboard and changing into it awkwardly. When she was done, she still hadn't managed to slide one arm through one strap, so the slip was hanging from the one shoulder, her right nipple occasionally feeling cold air.

It was at this point that she reached for her phone, dialing a number, not focusing on who's it was.

"Hello?" Came the drowsy answer.

"I nee to seeoo." She slurred, collapsing onto her bed.

"Sam? What are you doing calling me at, one in the morning?" His voice moaned after a beat.

"I wan oo talk." She responded, not focusing that the voice speaking to her was not the one she had initially planned on talking too.

"Sam, have you been drinking?" His voice asked.

"I'm depressd. An' I go' dumed tooay." She retorted. "Please, jus come ovah." She moaned. There was a pause, an extended silence, which to Sam, felt like forever. "Pleeeese!"

She heard a sigh. "I'll be there soon." Sam couldn't remember how to hang up her phone, and left it on the table in front of her, finding the vodka bottle and taking another couple of mouthfuls. She then wandered around her apartment haphazardly, pulling the slip off when it continued to interfere with some of her arm movements.

When there was a knock on her door, she didn't even think about the fact she was naked, only that he was on the other side.

"Sam!" Danny exclaimed upon her opening the door and him seeing her naked form.

"Wah? Neva see a nay-ked wom-an before?" She smiled, attempting to be seductive, taking his free hand and pulling him into the room, pushing the door shut behind him.

"Yes, I have seen naked women before, but not you!" Her breath caught in his senses and reminded him of his non-sober days.

She pulled away, having been so near to him, her lips about to kiss him. "Don you lie-k emee?" She asked quietly.

"No, no, no, it's not that. I do like you, I just don't want," he motioned between them both, "this to get complicated."

Sam smiled at his words, and jumped close to him, giving him a tight hug, and, knowingly or not, pressing her naked body hard against his clothed. A moment or so later, Danny heard tears, refusing to reciprocate her hug for fears it may be interpreted the wrong way.

"Ee dumped me Danny." She cried onto his shoulder. "Today, before Jack, took me away. In-ee office, ee dumped me." She sobbed hard, losing balance in her knees and collapsing against him.

Danny groaned inwardly. He picked her up, and began carrying her to her bedroom in the darkness. In her room, it wasn't until he walked into the bed, falling awkwardly on top of her, that he found her bed.

"Here. Are you okay, do you want me to get you something?" He breathed, getting off of her, and moving her about so she was under the covers.

"Stay." She whispered, finding his head with her flaying arms and pulling him close, whispering in his ear.

Danny nodded. "Okay, I'll be on the couch next-" He began.

"No. Stay here, with me." She begged, and Danny thought she was about to cry again.

Danny felt everything go cold around him. "Sam, I, you're like a sister to me."

Sam moaned. "Don't talk." She sat up, reaching for him again, pulling him close, moving to kiss him. Her arms found a hand, and instead, she pulled it to the skin of her cheek, forcing his fingers to caress her lips, before moving them down to her breasts, moving his fingers over her skin, feeling her heart rate speed up. "Please Danny."

Unbeknownst to him, Danny had sat down on the bed beside her, her silk like skin at his fingertips warming his body, pumping his blood. She leaned towards him, capturing his lips in a kiss, her hand leaving his, still massaging her breast, tickling her nipple, caressing her skin. Her hands moved to his body, to his shirt, pulling it over his head before wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him down atop her.

Their lips never parted, with Danny's hands locking onto her body, one focusing on her breasts, while the other slid south, across her belly, through the short, sparse hairs, into her folds.

She moaned his name as he began tickling her clit, his mouth now moving along her skin in a trail of kisses, stopping at her left nipple, teasing it with his tongue in a similar pattern and beat that he was with his finger to her warm and wet centre.

Her own hands moved above her head, grabbing the pillows and the bed head as she felt her first orgasm for the night near. Her back arched, her hips rose; she was so close, yet it was right when she was there, just before she tipped into that abyss known as orgasm, that he stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" She groaned, feeling his body's warmth leave her.

"Taking my jeans off." He responded, standing off the bed, removing his jeans before replacing his body above hers.

Sam could feel his erection pressing against her centre, and reached for it, trying to move it inside her body. Danny moved her hands, taking them both and moving them above her head, before placing himself properly at her entrance.

"Please, Danny!" She begged, shifting, trying to feel him.

Danny's heart pumped harder when he heard her utter his name, glad that she knew who was doing this too her. He smiled above her, sliding into her, instantly feeling her tighten around him. He smiled as she called out his name, thrusting into her faster and faster, thumbing her clit, drawing out this orgasm as long as he possibly could.

Sam didn't care if she was drunk or not. This man above her was a stud, keeping the intensity of her climax up for so long. She couldn't remember the last time a first time had been so entirely amazing.

After what was an eternity, he finally collapsed on top of her, having left a lasting impression about the night on both of them. Still inside her, and feeling her labored breathing, he wrapped his arms about her, before rolling off.

"Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh." Sam followed him, straddling him. "I want as much of that as possible before I fall asleep." She kissed his neck, reaching for his penis between their bodies and reviving it.

"Sam, I can't." He groaned beneath her, his hands teasing her sides.

"Yes, you can." She lowered herself above him, immediately setting a fast pace, and finding her release a few moments later.

"Satisfied?" Danny chuckled into her neck.

"Oh very much so." She sighed, before falling asleep above him.

Danny chuckled, wrapping his arms about her and pulling the covers over them. He had no idea what just happened, only that it was great, nor did he have any idea where this left them. Were they still friends? Actually, couldthey still be friends? After all, it was too soon for them to begin a relationship given she'd only just broken up with Martin.

And at the same time, would she even want a relationship with him? This made it three guys from the same team she'd slept with, and given Danny knew most of Sam's workplace fears; being labeled the bureau slut was high amongst them.

And it was at this point Danny remembered how drunk she was, and that he had just taken advantage of her. He screwed up his eyes, and clenched his jaw together in recognition of this discovery, but still hating himself, found himself unable to leave, instead falling asleep, wondering how complicated they had just made their lives.

--

Remember to Review!